"14", "name" => "Golf", "category" => "The Punter", "path" => "/var/www/vhosts/betting.betfair.com/httpdocs/golf/", "url" => "https://betting.betfair.com/golf/", "title" => "The Punter: Kaymer could return to winning ways on home soil : The Punter : Golf", "desc" => "The Punter talks us through the players that will be carrying his hard-earned money in this week's Mercedes-Benz Championship, including Europe's Ryder Cup stand-by man Martin Kaymer and Richard Sterne....", "keywords" => "", "robots" => "index,follow" ); $category_sid = "sid=4338"; ?>

The Punter: Kaymer could return to winning ways on home soil

The Punter RSS / / 10 September 2008 / 1

" class="free_bet_btn" rel="external" onclick="javascript: pageTracker._trackPageview('/G4/inline-freebet');" target="_blank">

The Punter talks us through the players that will be carrying his hard-earned money in this week's Mercedes-Benz Championship, including Europe's Ryder Cup stand-by man Martin Kaymer and Richard Sterne.

With no event in the States this week there's just the Mercedes-Benz Championship to concentrate on, formally the Linde German Masters. The event will be staged at Gut Lärchenhof for the ninth time, so there's plenty of course form to ponder.

Favourite Retief Goosen won the event back in 2005 and hasn't been in bad form of late but he doesn't get his head in front often enough for me to take [16.0], though I was tempted.

Second favourite Miguel Angel Jimenez is having a great season and he showed he's still in good shape last week when he finished just one shot shy of the play off, but he's just too short a price in this field for me also.

Defending Champion Soren Hansen is dismissed readily at only [20.0], his in- contention record is quite frankly woeful.

I can see Darren Clarke going well and wanting to show Nick Faldo what he'll be missing next week. He's played well here in the past and won the event back in 1996, though on a different course. The downside is the price again, a tad short for me at only [25.0].

Niclas Fasth has plenty of form here and has won in Germany before but is not quite in strong enough form to be backed at [34.0]. Ross Fisher, Graeme McDowell and David Howell were also all considered.

Indeed a case can be made for most of the market leaders and history shows that this isn't a course for 'rags'. A quick scan of the past winners shows that the title usually goes to a quality, well known player.

My first pick is going to be a well known player, if he isn't already. Martin Kaymer, backed at [34.0], only narrowly missed out on a place in the Ryder Cup side but I'm pretty sure he'll be in the next one, and the one after that, and so on and so forth.

He's had a difficult summer and losing his mother has had an understandably adverse effect on his form but a return to his homeland, where he won the BMW back in June, could just put him back on track.

My second pick is Richard Sterne, backed at [80.0]. Having looked likely to break through to the elite league Sterne's career has somewhat stalled. A return to a bit of form in South Africa at a couple of events and a decent week last week aren't exactly earth shattering results but they're a step in the right direction and he finished in the top ten here last year too. Hopeful rather than confident but the price was fair.

John Bickerton, who now lives in Germany, did OK here last year and at the BMW event this year and has been backed at [120.0].

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano finished alongside Bickerton in a tie for 16th last year. He's not been on the top of his game so far this season and disappointed last week after a decent first round but he finished the event with a very tidy 64 so there are some signs of life. I couldn't let him go un-backed at [130.0].

And last up is Marc Warren, another player I've backed plenty of times this year with no reward, but again the price is just too big and he was worth a small interest at [230.0].

Selections:

Martin Kaymer @ [34.0]
Richard Sterne @ [80.0]
John Bickerton @ [120.0]
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano @ [130.0]
Marc Warren @ [230.0]

I'll post an update at the halfway stage on Saturday morning.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

(1)

  1. Dean | 10 September 2008

    Hi, i agree with you about this event and have already backed 3 of yours earlier, here are my selections...

    N Fasth (Plays well in Germany and likes the course)
    D Howell (In good form and also likes the course)
    F Molinari (Playing really well at the moment, just needs to hole a few more putts!)
    R Sterne (Found some form and played well here last year)
    J Edfors (Small interest only as he played well here last year, but played awful last week)
    M Siem (Played quite well this year and might enjoy playing in Germany)
    G F Castano (A superb 64 last week should give him confidence, has won every year he's been on tour, and likes the course)
    D Vancsik (Can make alot of Birdies, Eagles, and that could be perfect for this course judging on past results!)
    M Warren (Knows how to win and is a brilliant putter, so worth a bet)

    Best of luck with your selections.